Kris Wirtz

Kris Wirtz
Personal information
Country represented Canada
Born (1969-12-12) December 12, 1969
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Former partner Kristy Sargeant
Sherry Ball
Former skating club CPA Pierrefonds
Retired 2003

Kris Wirtz (born December 12, 1969) is a Canadian former pair skater. With Kristy Sargeant, he is the 1999 Four Continents silver medalist, the 1994 Skate Canada International champion, and a two-time Canadian national champion. The pair competed at two Winter Olympics.

Career

Early in his career, Wirtz competed at the Canadian Championships in singles, ice dance, and fours, as well as pairs. He competed with Sherry Ball at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. Later in 1992, he teamed up with Kristy Sargeant.

Sargeant/Wirtz made their debut at the 1993 Canadian Championships and finished fifth. The following season, they won the national silver medal and were assigned to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, where they placed tenth. They then finished 11th at the 1994 World Championships.

In the 1994–95 season, Sergeant/Wirtz won gold at the 1994 Skate Canada International, having placed seventh a year earlier, but dipped to fifth at the Canadian Championships. The next season, they reached the national podium again and finished seventh at their second Worlds. The pair would appear at a total of seven World Championships during their career, placing as high as sixth (1997, 1999).

In 1998, Sargeant/Wirtz won their first national title and were sent to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. They placed 12th in their second Olympic appearance. The pair became national champions for the second time in 1999.

Wirtz was the Canadian team captain for five years. He and Sargeant retired from competition in around 2003. They work as coaches at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Personal life

Wirtz is from Marathon, Ontario. His brother was Paul Wirtz, a figure skating coach deceased April 6, 2006, and his nephew is pair skater Sean Wirtz.

Wirtz married Kristy Sargeant in 1999 and their first child together was born in 2002. On January 3, 2010 the Olympic torch relay passed through Marathon, Ontario. Wirtz's father, Gunter Wirtz, carried the Olympic torch in a procession through the local hockey arena.[1]

Competitive highlights

With Ball

International
Event 1991–92
Winter Olympics 12th
World Championships 10th
Nebelhorn Trophy 1st
National
Canadian Championships 3rd

With Sargeant

International
Event 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03
Olympics 10th 12th
Worlds 11th 7th 6th 7th 6th 10th 8th
Four Continents 2nd 4th 7th
GP Cup of Russia 5th
GP Nations Cup/
Sparkassen
4th 4th 4th WD
GP Skate America 6th 2nd
GP Skate Canada 7th 1st 4th 5th 4th 3rd
GP Trophée de
France/Lalique
6th 4th 5th
National
Canadians 5th 2nd 5th 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 2nd
GP = Became part of Champions Series in 1995–96 season, renamed Grand Prix in 1998–99 season
WD = Withdrew

References

  1. "Day 66 highlights". Vancouver2010.com. In Marathon, Ontario, every seat in the local hockey arena was filled (with many in standing room only areas). Once Guenther Wirtz, father of Marathon's Olympic hero figure skater Kris Wirtz, brought the Olympic Flame to the stage...the crowd went wild. The noise of cowbells, thunder sticks and tambourines filled the arena, as did the spirit of the Olympic Flame.
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